Acupuncture therapy has been employed for many centuries by the Chinese to relieve pain. More recently, acupuncture has been employed as an anesthetic for the reduction of pain during surgery. Acupuncturists have different thoughts on where to apply the needles. Some stimulate traditional acupuncture points; others use non-traditional points located in zones supplied by the same spinal chord segments; and still others use both techniques.
While acupuncture techniques are not universally accepted in this country, it is generally conceded that some benefits obtain from its use in many cases. It was reported by John J. Bonica, M.D., in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 229, No. 10, page, 1317, that acupuncture techniques are used as supplements to anesthesia during surgical operations. One of the advantages of acupuncture as an anesthetic is that the techniques are safe compared to some anesthetics which have serious side effects. Another advantage is that the technique is simple, convenient, inexpensive, and requires no elaborate equipment, thus permitting it to be used by paraprofessionals who do not have access to or training in drug anesthesia. This is particularly important in rural areas where there is a shortage of trained anesthesiologists. Among the disadvantages of acupuncture is the fact that while a highly trained person is not required, some training in anatomy is necessary to administer acupuncture. Therefore, self-treatment by an individual is generally not recommended.
Bonica further reports in the above-noted article that some hospitals in the People's Republic of China administer so-called "acupressure analgesia" to stimulate the acupuncture points. This is done by finger massage at the traditional or nontraditional acupuncture points, and results in comparable effects with respect to acupuncture, but it must be administered over long periods of time for the benefits to obtain. In view of this, it becomes practical for an individual to self-administer acupressure after having learned the proper acupressure points. A number of books have been written describing the location of those points, and one such book is The Healing Benefits of Acupressure, by F. M. Houston, published in 1974 by Keats Publishing, Inc.
Acupressure is performed today by employing the index finger, thumb, or palm, depending on the acupressure point to be stimulated, but there are some disadvantages in using the hand. One disadvantage is that tissues surrounding a sensitive area may become irritated not by the pressure but by frictional engagement with the finger. Furthermore, a therapist employing acupressure day after day on a series of patients finds that his fingers become very sore from applying pressure and from frictional contact with the tissues of the patient.